New Mariano's serves up healthy helping of prepared foods in Orland Park

Shoppers new to Mariano's might see the grocery store's swank, upscale touches and think they'll find product prices to match, the chain's namesake said as he walked the aisles of his newest store, due to open Tuesday in Orland Park.

And the upscale touches are many, including an oyster bar, crepe station and wine bar, but don't let that scare you, grocery retailing veteran Bob Mariano insists.

The chain has garnered an image as being expensive, he said, but, "If they (shoppers) take the time to walk through, they'll find that's not true," said Mariano, who formerly was the boss at Dominick's Finer Foods.

There might be a few pennies difference on some items, he said, but Mariano — president and chief executive of Milwaukee-based grocery company Roundy's, operator of Mariano's — said the chain remains competitive on prices. He picked up a frozen Roundy's brand margherita pizza and noted the $5 price, while an ad circular highlights packages of eight hot dog or hamburger buns for a buck, or a 30-ounce container of Roundy's gelato for $5.

At the north end of the Orland Park Crossing shopping center, the newest Mariano's, 9504 142nd St., is the chain's fourth in the Southland, and 35th in the Chicago market. The first Mariano's opened in August 2010, in Arlington Heights. The Orland Park store will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

While prepared food that can be eaten on-site or taken home is no longer a novelty to grocery shoppers, the new Mariano's devotes a significant amount of space in the 73,000-square-foot store to ready-to-eat foods.

It's the first Mariano's to have a crepe station, next to a hot foods area that will serve up items including macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, pasta, mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. There is also a soup and salad bar, with items including Tuscan bean rosemary salad and brown rice and chick pea salad.

Some Metra riders may have recently noticed a new Wi-Fi connection pop up on their phones and other mobile devices during their commute.

Metra began installing cellular "hot spots" on a select group of cars, some of which have been put back in service, within the past month, Metra spokesman Michael...

Nearby, Primo stone hearth pizza sells pizzas whole or by the slice, and Todd's BBQ, offers selections such as smoked beef brisket and smoked pulled pork by the sandwich or by the pound. Roundy's last year brought on acclaimed chef Ryan LaRoche to oversee ready-to-eat offerings at all Mariano's locations and develop new products.

On the menu at the store's juice and smoothie bar is the Super Spinach Smoothie, a blend of spinach, cucumber, kiwi, apple, banana, pineapple, strawberries, coconut water and cayenne pepper.

Mariano said the store offers plenty of options for customers to sit, sip and socialize.

"They (customers) can choose the experience they want," he said. "They can sit down and have a cup of coffee and chat."

There are also more potent libations that could make visiting Mariano's to actually pick up groceries an afterthought.

Near the pizza oven and barbecue, a small sit-down sushi bar offers sake and Japanese beer. At one corner of the store is an oyster bar, also serving tap beer, and not far from that is Nob's wine bar, which also has a selection of beer and hard cider on tap, along with a large-screen TV.

There are also cashier stations at all of the food and beverage locations, so a customer picking up food to go can bypass the checkout lanes, Mariano said.

He said he expects that prepared food offerings at grocery outlets will only continue to grow.

"I see a merging" of the two, Mariano said. "The lines are going to continue to blur."

While Orland is the 35th Mariano's, he said that the formula for what should or shouldn't go in a particular store remains fluid.

"We evolve constantly," he said. "We challenge ourselves to ensure we are offering the consumer the best experience possible. Where is the opportunity to surprise the customer when they come in?"

Mariano's has kept up a rapid pace of expansion, opening five stores annually, with a target of 50 in the Chicago area. Four more will open this year, including in Naperville and Westmont, Mariano said.

The first store locally, in Frankfort, opened in March 2013, followed by Oak Lawn in September 2014 and Evergreen Park in February.

For the Orland Park store, village trustees agreed to a sales tax revenue split with Mariano's that would return to the chain a maximum of $1.45 million over a period of up to 10 years. The agreement covers only sales tax revenue collected under Orland Park's home rule tax rate and doesn't apply to the sales tax money that goes to the state. The agreement is similar to those that Orland Park has approved in the past for new-car dealerships and retailers such as Costco.

Mariano had a long relationship with Dominick's, rising to become the chain's president and chief executive officer. He left the company after Safeway bought Dominick's in 1998, becoming Roundy's CEO in 2002. If you vacation in Wisconsin, it's possible you've stopped for supplies at a Roundy's store, such as Copps or Pick 'n Save.

Safeway closed Dominick's 72 stores in the Chicago market in late 2013 and early 2014, and 11 of those were snapped up by Roundy's and converted to Mariano's locations.

Last month, The Kroger Co. completed its deal to buy Roundy's for about $800 million, including the assumption of more than $600 million in Roundy's debt. Cincinnati-based Kroger left the Chicago market in the early 1970s, selling its stores to Dominick's, and before buying Roundy's, its only presence in the Chicago market had been its Food 4 Less stores.

Mariano said he does not expect Kroger will tinker with the formula that has made Mariano's successful, and that the financial heft the new parent brings can only benefit the chain.

"They are going to help us bring it (Mariano's) to another level," he said. "I think it opens up different avenues for us."